Tuesday, January 1, 2002

for sale on ebay

"Thus we play the fools with the time and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us."

William Shakespeare, King Henry the Fourth

I am up, not early, but not real late either. I have a few things to organize before I go. Make sure I have addresses, get the computer packed, stuff like that. Our friend is cooking a brunch and has filled the house with wonderful cooking smells. I feel like I never want to eat again but, still, it smells great. While I'm brushing my teeth and attempting to 'style' my hair, there is a skater doing a performance to John Lennon's Imagine on the Rockefeller Center ice rink.

I make some coffee and start out 2002 caffeinated. I get my journal in order and get some ebay postcards together to illustrate the page should I find the time and connection to keep it up.

SuRu comes over for brunch. Our friend and bookkeeper Gayle is frying bacon and making pancakes. I have a banana pancake, maple syrup and bacon. And more bacon. I like bacon although I rarely have it. I don't eat breakfast that often. Then I have some Mexican cornbread (full of meat and cheese and peppers) with black-eyed peas. I am already so lucky...how can I get any luckier??

Gayle and FFP take us to the airport. We are two hours early, as recommended. There is a short line to check our bags and a short line for security. They don't question my laptop or the rest of my bag o' electronics. Nor do they ask anyone I see to remove their shoes at the security check point.

We chat, have coffee and water, read a New York guidebook, buy magazines, go to the bathroom a couple of times. And it's finally time to board. Just as they make announcements a kid opens a fire exit and sets off an alarm. It's piercing. I think, "Oh, yeah, now this will delay us." But it's quickly cut off without anyone paying much attention to it. Hmmm. I wonder if the people in charge are sure no one got out to the runway. Oh. Well. I'm sure.

Our flight is VERY full. We have window and aisle seats at the very back of the plane. We keep expecting a companion. The plane fills up and I get very tired of listening to indulgent parents and listening to the flight attendants about overhead space and underseat space and 'if you have a coat, wait until all the bags are put up.' If you are going to New York where it is about thirty degrees, then you probably should have a coat. I think. Finally that is over and no one is sitting between us. The agent counting empty seats comes down the aisle, looks at the empty seat and says, "One." But no one takes it and we are off. We are lucky. The flight attendant forgets to give us the 'dinner' (barbecue sandwich, chips, cookie, apple) and feels bad and gives us two free Jack Daniels. The flight is long but direct. I prefer American but Continental has a direct flight to Newark. We actually arrive early.

When we get to baggage claim, we don't see our car service. When we find the VERY crowded carrousel, though, he is there. He helps us find our bags while cheerfully indulging SuRu's fanciful descriptions of the bag colors.

Our drive in from Newark, takes us through the Lincoln Tunnel. On the entrance ramp, we have a sweeping view of the city. Our driver says he took this route on Sept. 10 and saw the same beautiful skyline with the Towers. He's a fun driver and he shows us where the ball drop was, where Lion King is playing and other sights.

We settle into our room, unpack, make calls home and decide to eat a late snack in the hotel bar. They serve us some nice but expensive Pinot by the glass (La Crema) and I have a seared tuna salad and SuRu has some crab cakes. It's not bad. We watch thin New Yorkers drink, smoke and chat.

Time to sleep and begin our visit to the city on the morrow.

JUST TYPING
Statistically.
I'm more likely to be mugged.
In New York.
Than fly with a terrorist.
Or even be in a crash.